In John 5:6, Jesus asks a man who had been limited by illness for 38 years a simple question. "Do you wish to get well?" I am fascinated by this question. At first glance the answer is obvious - of course I want to get well, who would want to stay unwell for any extended period of time. Most of my existence is me either reveling in the good times or asking God to get me out of the bad times. We all think we want to be well.
However it is interesting because still Jesus asks the question. And in the question Jesus reveals something - He is truly the only way that this man could get well. This is the hard part. We do not want to surrender control over our lives to an unknown. We want to do things in the way that we have worked our minds around and only that way. If there is another way that is unknown and potentially difficult, maybe if given the choice we would actually answer no. In fact, many times I think we do answer no. We do not want to be well in the way that only Jesus can heal us. Sometimes His way involves difficulty and trial and we do not want that. Sometimes His way involves forgiveness and we do not want to do that. Sometimes His way involves going against the grain of society and standing out. We do not want to do that. And so we answer no. Unwittingly and silently we tell Jesus no we do not want to be well in His appointed way.
And so we continue in our state of being unwell simply because we are unwilling to try the way that Jesus has made for us. Is this you today? Are you unwell and yet have not tried the way that Jesus prescribed for you? Maybe you should try. Maybe you should seek God's Word and the way that God would want you to be obedient. This is the path to wellness. Do you want to be well?
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Prepare your Minds for Action
This past Ressurection Sunday I preached on 1 Peter 1:3-9 and the importance of keeping our focus on Christ because when we do we can have joy. But there is a second half to the sermon that comes in verse 13 of the same chapter.
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 (NASB)
I want to focus on two parts of this verse. The second half of the verse is consistent with the whole first part of the chapter - we are to keep our hope fixed on the future grace that will be given to us when Jesus is revealed. We need to keep reminding ourselves that there is more to life than just the here and now and that we have something better waiting for us!
This is really hard to do sometimes. Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment - so enthralled with the present that we do not learn from our past and we cannot in any way look ahead. In fact, many times, we do not think about the certainty of the future at all. The future in our culture is always unknowable and uncertain and we as Christians forget that our future is both knowable and certain because of the promises of God.
I really want to focus in on the first party of this verse. We are to prepare our minds for action. In other words, we are to think about what is going to happen ahead of time and prepare ourselves while focusing ourselves on the future that we know is coming. We do not simply sit back and wait for God to do His work while we do nothing - we must prepare our minds to do the things that God is going to do and then do the things that He has called us to. Which, if you read ahead a few verses, is to be holy like the One who called us is Holy. But holiness does not happen by accident. Obedience does not happen by accident. Trust does not happen by accident. We must prepare our minds for these things! We must prepare. We must prepare by putting on the armor of God. We must prepare by forcing ourselves to focus on the things that God calls us to focus on. We must prepare by getting into the Word of God on a regular basis. We must prepare through prayer and meditation on the Word of God. We must prepare.
Do not think for a moment that life just "happens" and we have to roll with whatever life throws at us. Our life is on a path toward the destination that God has revealed for us and we must prepare ourselves to do that which God has called us to do. So, if we want to respond rightly to all of the uncertainty in our world, we must prepare ourselves mentally to do so by doing the prep-work!
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13 (NASB)
I want to focus on two parts of this verse. The second half of the verse is consistent with the whole first part of the chapter - we are to keep our hope fixed on the future grace that will be given to us when Jesus is revealed. We need to keep reminding ourselves that there is more to life than just the here and now and that we have something better waiting for us!
This is really hard to do sometimes. Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment - so enthralled with the present that we do not learn from our past and we cannot in any way look ahead. In fact, many times, we do not think about the certainty of the future at all. The future in our culture is always unknowable and uncertain and we as Christians forget that our future is both knowable and certain because of the promises of God.
I really want to focus in on the first party of this verse. We are to prepare our minds for action. In other words, we are to think about what is going to happen ahead of time and prepare ourselves while focusing ourselves on the future that we know is coming. We do not simply sit back and wait for God to do His work while we do nothing - we must prepare our minds to do the things that God is going to do and then do the things that He has called us to. Which, if you read ahead a few verses, is to be holy like the One who called us is Holy. But holiness does not happen by accident. Obedience does not happen by accident. Trust does not happen by accident. We must prepare our minds for these things! We must prepare. We must prepare by putting on the armor of God. We must prepare by forcing ourselves to focus on the things that God calls us to focus on. We must prepare by getting into the Word of God on a regular basis. We must prepare through prayer and meditation on the Word of God. We must prepare.
Do not think for a moment that life just "happens" and we have to roll with whatever life throws at us. Our life is on a path toward the destination that God has revealed for us and we must prepare ourselves to do that which God has called us to do. So, if we want to respond rightly to all of the uncertainty in our world, we must prepare ourselves mentally to do so by doing the prep-work!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The Resurrection
"If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."
1 Cor. 15:19 (NASB)
This week is holy week. The week where we lead up to the most glorious day in all of the calendar for those of us who claim the name of Christ. I am not sure that we often think of this week in those terms, but this is the best week of the year. This is better than the birth of Christ, better than Pentecost, better than any other holiday religious or otherwise. This one day is the day that we pin our hope on. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no hope and our faith is worthless (see verse 18 of the same chapter).
Why is this so important? I want to give three simple reasons why the fact that we serve a living Savior is so critical in our daily lives.
1. Jesus alive means that God is faithful and true. - Jesus living in the plan of God and his conquering of death means that God is faithful and true to His promises. Think of all of the times in the Old Testament that God promised Israel something better in Messiah. Jesus being raised to life is the culmination of all of those promises. God is faithful to do what He has said He will do.
2. Jesus alive means I can have life. - The life that Jesus lives means that I get to have life. The song says, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." But in reality, because He lives, I can live today, and tomorrow and the future because I know that Jesus has conquered all that would seek to destroy my present life. I can live my life in abundance knowing that I can look forward to God fulfilling all of the promises yet to be fulfilled.
3. Jesus alive gives peace. - Think about it. Where is Jesus right now at this very moment? If you answer in your heart you are not thinking about the right person of the Trinity. The Spirit of God is God who lives in you. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father ruling from His throne. A throne He sat down upon after completing His work here on earth. A throne He will rise from to make all things right. Jesus is in the presence of God and He has gone there to prepare a place for you and for me. And that brings me a great deal of peace. Knowing that just like God raised Jesus from the dead, death is only a blink when I open my eyes in the presence of my Savior. Peace. Eternal Peace. From the very Prince of Peace.
And the list goes on and on. But these three things are a good place to start. This is why Resurrection Sunday is so critical! This is why it is the best day, and the best week, of the year.
1 Cor. 15:19 (NASB)
This week is holy week. The week where we lead up to the most glorious day in all of the calendar for those of us who claim the name of Christ. I am not sure that we often think of this week in those terms, but this is the best week of the year. This is better than the birth of Christ, better than Pentecost, better than any other holiday religious or otherwise. This one day is the day that we pin our hope on. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no hope and our faith is worthless (see verse 18 of the same chapter).
Why is this so important? I want to give three simple reasons why the fact that we serve a living Savior is so critical in our daily lives.
1. Jesus alive means that God is faithful and true. - Jesus living in the plan of God and his conquering of death means that God is faithful and true to His promises. Think of all of the times in the Old Testament that God promised Israel something better in Messiah. Jesus being raised to life is the culmination of all of those promises. God is faithful to do what He has said He will do.
2. Jesus alive means I can have life. - The life that Jesus lives means that I get to have life. The song says, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." But in reality, because He lives, I can live today, and tomorrow and the future because I know that Jesus has conquered all that would seek to destroy my present life. I can live my life in abundance knowing that I can look forward to God fulfilling all of the promises yet to be fulfilled.
3. Jesus alive gives peace. - Think about it. Where is Jesus right now at this very moment? If you answer in your heart you are not thinking about the right person of the Trinity. The Spirit of God is God who lives in you. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father ruling from His throne. A throne He sat down upon after completing His work here on earth. A throne He will rise from to make all things right. Jesus is in the presence of God and He has gone there to prepare a place for you and for me. And that brings me a great deal of peace. Knowing that just like God raised Jesus from the dead, death is only a blink when I open my eyes in the presence of my Savior. Peace. Eternal Peace. From the very Prince of Peace.
And the list goes on and on. But these three things are a good place to start. This is why Resurrection Sunday is so critical! This is why it is the best day, and the best week, of the year.
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